The Uncomfortable Traveler

Suspended by a String: The most uncomfortable travelers see the greatest views.

As the end of the semester draws closer by the day, it’s hard not to think about what it will be like to return home. Although I won’t truly be returning until June, I’ve been thinking about what it will be like to re-enter a culture I have been away from for so long. DeBotton’s “On Habit” made me consider the many aspects of travelling and living abroad.

For me, the most striking part of the essay concerned the difference between the eyes of a traveler and the eyes of the native. After visiting foreign lands, we often return to our homes with a lackluster perspective of home. “…The appearance of London on my return was a reminder of the indifference of the world to any of the events unfolding in the lives of its inhabitants.” I remember returning home from my first trip abroad as a teenager and feeling this way. I think it’s a common and almost safe response meant to validate our time away. However, I am very much looking forward to returning to New York, its comforts, and hidden pockets of unconventional beauty. If anything, living in the space between tourist and resident has instilled in me a greater appreciation and openness toward the beauty of home.

Travelling is truly a gift, especially for a college student. I realized this when DeBotton considered the work of Alexander Von Humboldt. We are constantly learning and expanding our interests, however, very often we do not stop to consider the importance and the impact of our surroundings. By spending time abroad, I feel as though I have a heightened awareness of the intricate details of places I experience. Being somewhere new, somewhere uncomfortable, or even somewhere familiar in a new context can awaken an intellectual and personal curiosity. “On Habit” made me question my habits and forced me to consider the value and benefits of feeling uncomfortable.

As I am spending the year in Paris, I feel as though I am more inclined to make my apartment and the city feel more like home. While I feel like this is important, I feel that there is a certain danger in this sentiment after reading DeBotton’s perspective. Gaining new appreciations and expanding your world view requires a certain amount of feeling like an outsider. “There are some who have crossed deserts, floated on ice caps, and cut their way through jungles but whose souls we would search in vain for evidence of what they have witnessed.” I want to be the fruit of my experiences and DeBotton made me realize that habit and complacency will never serve that end.

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